Cushion-sole footwear and method of making same.



J. A. REID. CUSHION SOLE FOOTWEAR AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME; APPLICATION FILED AUGJL 1m.

1' Patented Jan, 7, 1919 I? f: F Ski/X :13 y S 4 k Z/ J GEN A. REID, 0F FREDERICTON, NEW 'BR'UNSWIGK, CANADA, ASSIGNOR T0 THE HARTT "BOOT AND SHOE COMPANY, LIMITED, 0F FREDERICTON, NEW BRUNSWTGK, CANADA.

CUSHTON-BOLE FOOTWEAR AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. t, tdild.

Application filed August 21, 1916. Serial No. 116,102.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. REID, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and resident of the city of Fredericton, in the Province of New Brunswick and Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cushion-Sole Footwear and Methods of Making Same, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in footwear and more especially to that class of footwear having a Cushion sole; and to a metliod of making the same. The

object of the invention is to provide an 3.17:.

ticle of footwear having the sole cushion thereof so formed that it extends fully to it the edge of the insole in a normal or uncompressed condition and free from hard ridges such as might be caused by stitching. A further object is to provide a cushion sole boot or shoe which may be manufactured more readily and cheaply than heretofore.

The invention consists, briefly, in provid-' ing an insole split at the edge and skived as usual, a cushion and a cushion cover having flaps which fold down sharply at the. dg

and are attached under the insole by the welt holding stitches or other suitable means. The flaps are zdctachecl to the cover in such a manner that a hinge is formedat the junction which permits the fiaps to assume a position at right angles to the plane of the cover without dragging the edges of the cover and thereby compressing the edges of the cushion. When the parts-arc assembled the free edges of the flaps are caught by the welt attaching stitches so that the cushion and its cover are secured without the necessity of an additional operation.

In the drawings which illustrate the inventi0n: A v

Figure 1 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a shoe showing the cushion sole ,in position.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the cushion sole in position part of the flap stitching being removed.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a block used in forming thcinsole.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 11 designates the insole of an article-- of footwear, split at the edge to fornrupper and lower flaps l2 and i3, respectively, the

The lower surface of the insole is channeled A cushion 15 of suitable material, such as soft wool felt, is provided on the upper side of the insole and is held in place by a cover 16 of soft pliable leather or other suitable material. Flaps 17 are attached to the side edges ofv-the cover and extend from near the toe end to approximately the front end of the heel, as will be'clearly seen in Fi 2. These flaps are preferably of fabric, suc 1 as stron tape of suitable width and are connected at an edge to the side edges of the cover by suitable stitching 18 which engages the flaps at the extreme edges so that the flaps lie neither above nor below the edges of ,the cover but abut the same, so that the'edges of the cover are not thickened or hardened by the presenceof overlapping tape.- V

The method of assembling; the parts is entremcly simple and may be performed most expeditiously. The flaps 17 are first stitched to the cushion cover 16. The cover is then placed upside down on a special block 21 and a cushion 15 superposed and finally the insole 11 is applied with its top surface against the cushion. now held in this relation by any suitable means, such as tacking at the toe, heel and shank to the block. The flaps are turned over the edges of the insole and secured temporarily by any suitable 'means, such as adhesive. These flaps are sufficiently wide to be caught by the stitches 19 which secure the welt 23, upper 24 and insole 11, in position and are therefore laid on the in solo in such position that. they will be Either before or after the parts cauglit. are arranged on the block the insole, cushion and cover are stitched. together at the too, as at 20, the stitches passing through all three members. It will be noted that there are no stitches. passing through the members, especially the cushion, at the sides or heel. The result is that the cushion remains in its normal. condition, uncompressed, to the very edge so that no hard ridges areformed at the edges to give dis comfort to the wearers foot as would be the case if the stitches passed through the cushion at the edges. Tn drawing thefiaps over the insole the stitches 18 form a hinge flaps readily assume positions at right angles t0 the cover without compressing the edges of'the cushion. Only sutlicient tension is applied to-the flaps to make them lie snugly against the edges of the cushion. If desired the cushion may be attached to the insole, except at the heel, by a suitable adhesive. The heel portions of both the cushion and its cover may be entirely free of the insole in order'that the cover may be laid forwardly in the lasting operation, thus permitting the heel to be nailed through the insole Without the nails passing through the cushion cover.

While the flaps have previously been described as of fabric it will be understood that this is not essential as strips of suitable thin and strong leather, or other material, may be used with the same results. In the case of leather flaps the same may be integral with the cushion cover.

. The advantages of the construction and method of assembly may be briefly sum marized. As regards the product; a cushion is formed which extends clear to the side of the boot or shoe without variation in the degree of cushioning effect, 2'. 6., without the formation of ridges at the edges due to compression of the cushion by stitching. (The compression at the toe by the stitches 20 is not considered as it is entirely out of reach of the wearers foot). As regards the assembly or making of the articles; outside of placing the various members, which is necessary in any cushion sole structure, the only operations additional to the ordinary operations-necessary on any boot or shoe the attaching of the flaps tothe cover the toe stitching 20' and the adaptation of the flaps to the edges of the insole. It will. be readily seen that these'operatiens are extremely simple and may be very quickly performed even by unskilled labor being positioned on the insole so that the expense thereof may be almost negligible.

The block 21 on which the insole is formed is an important part of the invention. This block is shaped to the curvature the insole will have in the finished article so that the insole is formed to this curvature with the result that when built into the boot or shoe the cover does not wrinkle or fold as it is very liable to do if the insole is formed fiat. The, blocks are preferably right and left.

What I claim is 1. In footwear, the combination with an insole, of a cushion, a cushion cover, fiaps at the side edges thereof separate from the cover, stitching hingedly connecting the flaps in edge abutting relation to said cover and stitches passing through said cover, cushion and insole at the toe, the said flaps to be caught by the welt attaching stitches and so positioned in relation to the cushion cover that they make a sharp right angular corner therewith when in finished stantially as described.

2. A method of making footwear which consists in forming an insole split and channeled on its lower surface, necting flaps in edge abutting relation with a cushion cover by means of stitches, superposing a cushion and the cushion cover on the insole, stitching through at the toe, swinging the fiaps down and bending them under the insole edges and connecting the cover flaps, welt and upper to the insole by a single stitching operation.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand. in presence of two witnesses. I

JOHN A. REID. Witnesses JOHN R. .WALKER, CHAS. l3. Ronnnrs.

position, subhingedly con- 

